Copenhagen- Well, I usually don't blog about days at sea, but
yesterday was particularly exciting for two reasons. First, Walker
attended an art auction, entered a raffle contest, and won a large
colorful painting of a woman by the French artist Linda Le Kinff!
Then, Walker was flipping channels on the tv before bed and when I
heard a certain familiar sound I shot up in bed and yelled for him to
turn back. It was Will and Nate, two of my very best friends from Uva
playing with their band Parachute on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show! If you
haven't done so already, stop reading NOW and open up iTunes and buy
their album, "Losing Sleep". I couldn't believe I was seeing them on
tv in the middle of the Baltic! Another great day at sea!

Today, we enjoyed exploring our final port of call here in the capital
of Denmark. We were dropped off by the opera house and walked through
the King's Garden and the botanical gardens to see the
Renaissance-style Rosenberg Castle, where soldiers drilled and marched
to stately music. We then visited the rococco home of the Danish royal
family at Amalienborg Palace and the Lutheran Church. After quick
visits to the National Museum and the Carlsberg Sculpture Museum, we
finished our long sightseeing trip with a trip to the world-famous
Tivoli Gardens amusement park, supposedly Walt Disney's inspiration
back in the day since Tivoli was founded in 1843! We enjoyed classic
roller coasters, modern rides, cotton candy, and Danish Carlsberg beer
before returning to the ship and setting sail for Amsterdam.

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Tallinn- Today we enjoyed a quick visit to the historic capital of
Estonia from 7am until 2. Tallinn is a quiet and beautiful town still
holding onto Russian cultural influences, though it gained
independence in 1991. Set on a hill above the Gulf of Finland, the old
town is a medieval enclave filled with old walls, towers, winding
cobbled lanes and buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. We visited
3 more churches in the old own, and I must say that the churches we've
visited on this trip are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. We
made our way all around Tallinn on foot in just a few hours and had
beautiful weather for pictures. We are looking forward to a sea day
tomorrow to rest our legs and perhaps enjoy another scotch tasting
before Copenhagen on Thursday!

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St. Petersburg- We spent over 4 hours of our first day in Russia at
the incredible Hermitage Museum, which is second only to that other
one in Paris in terms of size and wealth of artistic collection. The
exhibits were incredible, and the decor of the museum was truly a site
in and of itself. Today Russia celebrated some sort of maritime
holiday, so everyone wore sailor hats around town. After the museum,
we searched in vain for food before visiting the iconic Church of the
Resurrection, which is filled with beautiful mosaics and topped with
striking onion domes, which make this church the most photographed
site in the city. We then visited a local souvenir market and picked
out some of those hand-painted dolls with other smaller dolls stacked
inside them (I can't remember their special name). The only gifts we
can take out of Russia are these dolls, vodka, amber, and certain
amounts of caviar... Haha, what? Finally, I was fortunate enough to
get a ticket to see the opera Lucia di Lamermoor at the famous
Mariinsky Theatre, built in 1860 and celebrating its 226th opera
season. This was a wonderful cap to a great and memorable day in
Russia. We are docked in port tonight and will sail out at 5:30pm
tomorrow!

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St. Petersburg- Our second and final day in Russia was spent visiting
the sites in the city that we missed yesterday. We walked along the
Neva River to Peter and Paul Fortress, then past the Rostral Columns
and on to Dekabristov Square, where we took pictures of the famed
"Bronze Horseman". We then toured the incredibly ornate St. Isaac's
Cathedral and climbed up to the top of the dome for panoramic views of
the city. The afternoon rain kept us from visiting Peterhoff, but
since it was modeled after Versailles I wasn't too disappointed since
I was just there in Paris. Russia is definitely not a tourist-friendly
place, but we had a great time even though we had a tougher time
navigating the city than usual. To me, the highlights were definitely
the two churches, the Hermitage, and the opera last night. Now we're
off to Estonia!

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Helsinki- It was a gorgeous day here on the southern coast of Finland,
where we enjoyed walking along the Gulf of Finland and on to visit the
Lutheran Cathedral at Senate Square, the Kauppatori Market where local
women were knitting all sorts of clothing, the brick Uspenski
Cathedral, and the city park. We also really enjoyed hearing some
young musicians playing along the Esplanade. Perhaps the most exciting
find of the day was a Donatello flavored Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
sports drink discovered at a local supermarket! Yes, I bought it in
case you were wondering...

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Stockholm- Walker and I blended right in today with all of the local
Swedish blondes as we toured this wonderful city. We visited the
Flagship Vasa, Storkyrkan Cathedral, the Royal Palace, City Hall, and
Riddarholms Church. 14 islands and 50 bridges give the city the name,
"the Venice of the North" and we got some great photos along the
waterfront. I forced Walker into the beautiful Stockholm Opera House
at the end of our walk and then we caught the last bus back to the
ship and grabbed some ice cream for the sail away. The ship is
crowded, busy, and strikingly diverse in composition, but Walker and I
have enjoyed life on board so far. We've attended the nightly shows
and scotch tastings and are off now to formal night.

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Warnemunde & Rostock- Today was fairly overcast here in northern
Germany, but we were excited to get off the ship in our first port of
call after a sea day Tuesday. After about 20 minutes, Walker decided
that Rostock is Germany's version of Swainsboro (i.e. Absolutely
nothing exciting has ever happened here). We did visit 2 beautiful
churches, ate bratwursts, and each drank "a meter of beer" (don't ask)
at a German brewery in order to drown the memories of what Walker has
called the "most forgettable place I've been since the Vienna Opera".
That's what I call a complement! Haha, another day at sea tomorrow
before Helsinki.

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Amsterdam- After 6 years, it was wonderful to return to Amsterdam,
which lives a dual life as a quaint, historic, canal town with
incredible churches and master art and a party town after dark with
its famous coffee shops and Red Light District. Our visit was rated PG
with our visits to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum (with
incredible Rembrant and Vermeer), the Heineken Brewery, and a very
brisk stroll through the Red Light area... Now we're sailing for
Germany on the Celebrity Century and will be at sea tomorrow!

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Paris- Took the city by storm in a whirlwind tour of some of Paris'
incredible highlights: Monmartre, Opera Garnier, Musee D'Orsay, Notre
Dame, Saint Chapelle, Jardins du Luxembourg (where kids were sailing
mini sailboats in the fountain), St Germain des Pres, Tour Eiffel,
Versailles, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and, of course, des escargots!
Surprisingly the weather was a little chilly (yet beautiful) and my
legs are more tired than they've been all summer, but as always Paris
was amazing and I even got to dust off some old phrases from high
school french to wow the locals ;) haha, most just responded to my
french in impatient english!

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Paris- After having been in Asia for a month, I believe that even Hill
Jeffries and Paul Anderson would join me in kissing the Parisian soil
and smiling at all of the "big noses" (as Westerners are
affectionately referred to as in Asia) that greet you with "bonjour"
and don't feel compelled to touch your hair or be in a picture! Even
though this is my 4th visit, I'm excited to visit as many of the
tourist spots and museums as possible and to get to Versailles for the
first time! Its actually kind of chilly here! I'm feeling the jet-lag
for the first time so it might be time for un cafe!

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J. Lawson Anderson
lawsonanderson@gmail.com
(404) 944-1735

University of Virginia, CLAS 2009
jla7r@virginia.edu

The Virginia Gentlemen
thevirginiagentlemen.com

New Delhi- Enjoyed a few relaxing days here in Delhi reading by the
pool and working out at the hotel gym. Yesterday, I rode around the
"new" city and saw Sir Edwin Lutyens designs in the India gate, the
President's home, Parliament, and the tree lined boulevards. Then I
saw two more World Heritage sites: Humayun's tomb (said to be the
inspiration behind the construction of the Taj Mahal) and the leaning
tower Qutab Minar. Even though I have a LONG day of travel ahead, I
won't be too sad to bid farewell to India. Been there, done that...
forgot to get the t-shirt. Is this really the world's next economic
super power?

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Agra- I woke up at 5am for a 4 hour drive in a van with 6 others (from
India, Australia, and Spain) to Agra. Our first stop was the Taj
Mahal, which to me is quite deserving of its title as a wonder of the
world. The detail of the inlaid marble came alive the closer we walked
to the Taj, but I will never forget the experience of walking through
the maine gate and taking in the site all at once. It is truly
breathtaking. Jeans were a bad choice, considering that the humidity
pushed the heat to an almost unbearable level. I am the focus of even
more pointing and staring here than in China, but the looks here are
not happy ones... At all. While the men wear the new arrivals from the
shelves of Value Village, the women cover their bodies with some
really vibrant and beautiful fabrics that breathe life into an
otherwise desolate street scene. I'm so glad I'm having this
experience in India, but, as I wrote to my dad today, I think the best
way to see India might be with a National Geographic Blue Ray disc, an
arm chair, and a cold Sweet Water 420. We did also enjoy a nice
traditional Indian meal for lunch today after visiting Agra Fort and a
marble factory, so that was a nice experience. All in all, it was a
great day- the Taj Mahal is a site I will never forget!

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New Delhi- I am safe in India after a long day of travel yesterday.
Today I toured Old Delhi, with its markets, the Red Fort, the Lotus
Temple, the Rajghat (Gandhi memorial), Jama Masjid (India's largest
mosque), and the Ferozshah Kotla. This is- without a doubt- the
nastiest place I've ever been. I don't even want to mention the
various things I saw on the ground in the street markets. Piles of
bricks and rubbish all over the city indicate that the motor of
India's capital city stopped running a long time ago. I'm off to Agra
in the morning to see the Taj Mahal!

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Bangkok- Those who know me well know that I've never met an ice-cream I didn't like... Well, that was until I accidentally ordered curry flavored yesterday! It's like mixing beets and applesauce- they just don't belong in the same bowl. I enjoyed my last night walking around Bangkok and woke up early today to ride through the canals of the famous Floating Market, and now I'm off to India! 16 flights down, only 5 to go!

Macau- Today I rode the ferry and hired a driver to take me around the island of Macau. The nearly 400 tears of Portuguese rule that ended in '99 is still alive in the colorful, elegant buildings, squares, and churches. It has only taken about 4 years for the casinos to add flashier color to Macau, but this juxtaposition makes the island truly unique. The Venetian is 3x the size of the one in Vegas! Just returned to Hong Kong to see the harbor light show!

Hong Kong- After weeks of endless rain here in HK, the skies have cleared for two beautiful days in this strikingly Western city by the sea. Though shopping near my hotel here in Kowloon is the main attraction for tourists, I really enjoyed the view over the city from Victoria Peak and a sampan ride through the fishing community of Aberdeen. I picked up souvenirs at Stanley Market and had a few suits made for work after walking all around Kowloon Bay area

Shanghai- Ayn Rand wrote, "A city is the frozen shape of human courage- the courage to say, not 'it seems to me,' but 'it is'". Shanghai is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo, and it is clear that this globalized city is the beacon of modernity. The illuminated city did seem peacefully frozen tonight as I enjoyed the views from a river boat after exploring People's Park earlier where a crowd of kids practiced their English by telling me several stories

Shanghai- God bless America. Happy 4th! Enjoyed a visit to the Yu Garden at Old Town, walking on the glass floor 300 meters above the city in the Oriental Pearl Tower and exploring The Bund and Nanjing Rd. I even saw a man in an Auburn shirt and yelled "War Eagle"! A very American moment for me... Fun Fact for the day: the largest chain of convenience stores in China is called "Lawson". Not kidding. Japanese owned. I got a picture today, no worries.

Shanghai- They proudly call this city "the archetypal urban template" and after only one day I can see why. There can't be another skyline on earth that matches this one. Like in the good old USA, there's a welcomed lack of architectural and cultural cohesion, as the city instead takes on the melting pot feel of NYC with much more room to breathe. I even stumbled upon the PwC offices today after a visit to the Shanghai Museum and the French Concession!

Guilin- Yesterday I had a chance to walk along the lakes and bridges of this most picturesque Chinese town, but the most memorable scenery came today during a cruise down the Li river where the famous rock formations reminded me of Halong and Capri. I also enjoyed visits to Reed Flute cave and Fu Bo hill